Tempting The Beauty Queen. Carolyn Hector

admit such a thing to Ramon.

      “You’re breathing heavy again.” Ramon moved close to Kenzie’s frame. Large hands pressed against her shoulders. “Take a seat, calm down.”

      “I’m not going to calm down. I don’t have time for such luxuries, I’ve got a million things to do and prepare for and I don’t need to be stuck in some dark elevator with the likes of you.”

      “The likes of me?” He flat-out mocked her with a hard laugh and an overexaggerated Southern drawl. The elevator shook a bit. Did the space between the walls get tighter?

      Kenzie felt the floor beneath her against the back of her jeans as she sat down. She tucked her feet under her legs and adjusted her frame away from Ramon’s when he got down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He smelled wonderful, like lemon icing. Kenzie’s stomach grumbled. What happened to her box? Did she drop it?

      “What other things do you have to do? You can talk to me. Or have you forgotten we used to be friends?” Ramon asked her while his fingers rubbed the nape of her neck. Kenzie tilted her head against his shoulder. They’d been more than friends at one point. If she remembered correctly, this slick move with his hands toying with the hair at the nape of her neck had landed her in bed with him. Kenzie scooted away. “Tell me what’s going on.”

      “I have three weddings to attend, and my baby cousin is getting married before me. Not only is one half of my family coming, I’m attending the wedding solo which means I’m going to spend several hours with the tilt-of-the-head-pity-look from them. Then I’ve got two weddings for my pageant girls and all of them are trying to set me up with their fiancés’ groomsmen and I’m desperate to take them up on the offer because at this year’s gala, I’m going to have my entire family in town, the Hairstons and the Swaynes.”

      “Not the Hairstons and the Swaynes.” Ramon gasped dramatically before chuckling.

      Kenzie elbowed him in the ribs and pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. “Shut up. You have no idea about family pressure.”

      “I don’t?”

      “No,” said Kenzie. “And did I mention the Miss Southwood Pageant is at the end of the month this year?”

      “Hmm. Has it already been a year? Seems like just yesterday you were walking through the doors at Magnolia Palace and barking out orders.”

      “You’re not funny.”

      “Sorry, I feel like I should get you flowers or something.”

      “Why?”

      “Because it’s the anniversary of when we first met,” said Ramon, no hint of mockery in his tone.

      A shiver ran down Kenzie’s spine. “And the celebration of the first time I’d been embarrassed in like a decade.”

      “By me not escorting you to the final party? Do you know how many parties and events we went to? You had something planned every day for a week.”

      “Well, after everything we went through...” Kenzie began clearing her throat. “If you weren’t interested, you should have said so, set the guidelines, not leave me hanging to get myself to the restaurant.”

      “You’re mad because I stood you up?” Ramon asked softly. Kenzie responded by rolling her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Kenzie.”

      “I’m not mad about just standing me up. If you weren’t interested, you shouldn’t have started things up with me and then stopped speaking to me. And don’t try giving me a lame answer like, ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’”

      “What if that’s true?”

      “Whatever, Ramon.”

      “Seriously.” Ramon reached to his side and found her hand. “I’d just finished the reconstruction on the hotel. I didn’t need to get into a relationship at the time. I’d just opened the hotel and you were a distraction.”

      “A distraction?” Kenzie’s bottom lip poked out. “Gee, thanks.”

      “You’re taking that the wrong way,” Ramon said. He gave her fingers a squeeze. “Kenzie, you are like your hair, fiery and spirited. I moved to Southwood to start my business, not get into a relationship. One night with you and I almost forgot everything I came here for.”

      “Yet you still slept with me.”

      “I am a man,” Ramon answered, “an utterly weak man who succumbed to the most beautiful, irresistible, sexiest woman on earth.”

      And she was a woman, and the two of them together made such a pair in bed. Ramon was the first man able to coax out a primal desire from her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get it again but was glad and irritated at the same time for at least having experienced the pleasure once—or half a dozen times. Kenzie licked her lips. The anger at him she felt disappeared. “Thank you for your apology.”

      “Wait a minute,” said Ramon. “I didn’t apologize.”

      “Yes, you did,” Kenzie replied. She pushed their hands onto his thigh and let go, patting his muscular leg before letting go. “You meant to.”

      Ramon began to laugh. “What?” He patted Kenzie’s leg and chuckled. “I accept your apology also.”

      Kenzie brushed his hand away. “For what?”

      “For all your antics. I know you were the one behind loosening the salt shaker at that food truck at the park.”

      The image of Ramon’s mountain of salt on top of his curly fries evoked a giggle. “I plead the Fifth.” She pushed his hand away.

      “See, I knew you were behind all the crappy things done to me. At least I tried to be nice to you with my antics.”

      “Are you going to admit to sending me magnolias this spring?”

      “Why would I send you the first batch of flowers blooming this spring?” Humor flooded his tone. Their hand game stopped. Kenzie turned to face him in the dark. Without needing to see his face, she knew he was leaning close to her. She gulped. He’d remembered her favorite flower. Kenzie’s lips throbbed at the idea of kissing him again. Her heart raced with the idea of anything intimate between them again. He was a drug to her and getting addicted to him was not good for her soul.

      “Kenzie,” Ramon said softly.

      “Ramon... I...” Kenzie paused but she knew as she waited with her mouth open he was going to kiss her. Her world shook; her heart raced. And she swore her heart dropped.

      “I think the elevator is about to fall.” In one quick movement Ramon pulled Kenzie onto his lap.

      That familiar feeling of being on a roller coaster just before it went down the hill washed over her. Kenzie’s bottom lifted off Ramon’s lap. Her heart dropped. Ramon cradled her in his arms and absorbed the fall for her, protecting her once again.

      * * *

      There’d been no thought for his safety during the fall. Ramon just knew if the elevator made it to the floor there’d be nothing to absorb the hit. His first instinct was to protect Kenzie. When the elevator dropped, the hydraulics miraculously kicked in and the bounce jarred the elevator doors open to the lower level. Ramon hadn’t noticed the windows from the outside but the light spilled into the hallway where the doors opened.

      “Okay, so this time I’m going to thank you,” Kenzie said, wiping the gray dust and dirt off her face.

      The sound of her voice filled him with pride. She was okay. Ramon helped her, using his thumbs against her cheekbones, wiping until he saw the freckles. Relief hit him. His heart ached at the fear of something happening to her under his watch. Aside from family, it felt odd to care about someone enough to feel responsible for them.

      Most of the businesses in Southwood had commercial space on the first level and residential